The common misconception is that hybrid buyers are young and trendy. Based on surveys that HybridCars.com has tracked for a number of years, we know that hybrid drivers are actually older than the average car buyer. They are also more educated, more affluent, and more likely to live in California. A new study, just released from Scarborough Research, may shed light on lifestyle habits of hybrid drivers, such as diet, exercise, Internet use, and political affiliation.
Consumers considering a hybrid vehicle are now a majority, according to a survey released today by JD Power and Associates. The number jumped to 62 percent this year, from an even 50 percent in the same survey last year. The reason? For 7 out of 10 respondents, it was “lower fuel costs” or “better fuel economy.” And what about “being better for the environment?" Just 16 percent said that was why they’d pick a hybrid.
After a Hillary Clinton supporter refered to Barack Obama supporters as "latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies," Ethan, from Urbanspoon.com, wondered whether there was a statistical correlation between a voter's tastes in cars, footwear and caffeinated beverages, and their taste in Democratic Presidential candidates. So are hybrid car owners actually more likely to vote for Obama?
According to the latest forecast by J.D. Power and Associates, sales of hybrid and diesel-powered cars will more than triple by 2015. The new forecast includes specific numbers for the Chevy Volt, beginning with 11,059 sales in 2010 and growing to 70,000 units by 2014.
A mock ad for the Toyota Prius depicts a hybrid driver soliciting the services of a prostitute. The clever piece of "culture-jamming" simultaneously mocks the self-righteous tendencies of hybrid drivers and subverts the do-good jingoism of corporations pushing their so-called green wares.
If chatter on the Internet is any indication of market trends, then clean diesel technology will become a strong contender in the world of green motoring. In a report entitled, “Shaping the Future of Automotive Engine Technology,” BrandIntel, a market research firm, analyzed the volume and sentiment of online discussions about eco-friendly transportation. The firm concluded that U.S. consumers are starting to see diesel as a viable alternative to hybrid and gas-powered vehicles.
What’s the number one reason for the success of the Toyota Prius? According to a new survey by CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore., owners said, “It makes a statement about me.” Are hybrid drivers really so vain and smug?
A new study of 118 Prius drivers shatters the conventional wisdom that hybrids do not pay for themselves. When asked what kind of car they would have purchased if they had not bought a hybrid, many shoppers would have purchased a vehicle costing thousands of dollars more than a Prius. Therefore, the Prius was not only their most desired vehicle; it was cheaper than other cars on their shopping list.
Forecasting the future of hybrids is tricky business. Nobody predicted how fast the sales numbers would grow since hybrids were introduced in 2000.
The impressive quality of hybrid vanity plate ideas—in terms of humor, creativity, meaning, and irreverance—shows further evidence of the intelligence and worldliness of hybrid drivers.
